The aim is to identify troublesome concepts within cloud microphysics. An open-ended survey was conducted after the lecture, and twenty-nine students answered five questions related to the concepts they were taught.

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Thematic analysis of the data resulted in a list of concepts related to the course content and their total counts from the survey. The analysis reveals that four properties could be extracted from the data: identifiability, novelty, difficulty, and importance. These properties are subsequently used to discuss potential threshold concepts in cloud microphysics.

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We also discuss the criticism that threshold concept theory is exposed to and motivate the necessity to develop a working definition of threshold concepts with a reduced set of properties that could uphold the discussion around their identification. Based on the results of the survey and a review of their geophysical structure, we find that “Homogeneous vs. heterogeneous nucleation”, “Subsaturation vs. supersaturation” and “Critical radius of a droplet” are prime threshold concept candidates.

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This study highlights the importance of considering the students’ perspectives and difficulties when investigating the nature of concepts in a specific discipline. It provides insights into the field of cloud physics education and informs the development of instructional material and teaching practices.

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Read the peer-reviewed paper here (Journal of Geoscience Education)

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